“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” Rumi
Movement and Yoga Flow
I just love to move my body; music makes me want to dance, mountains make me want to climb and dreams of beautiful places make me want to travel. I’ve always been this way and even my yoga practise has at times been so full of movement that it feels restless; forever flowing into the next pose without allowing time to linger, breathe and be truly present. In Ayurvedic terms I’m Vata, all air and ether, with a tendency to become unbalanced!
But recently I’ve discovered a new depth to my practise and a slower rhythm that I never knew I’d love so much. I’ve retained enough action for a movement warrior like me, but interspersed with stillness, more detailed precision and refined transitions. I’m finding that taking my time and taking care is truly calming – I guess it sends a clear signal of self-compassion. Plus, I’m finding it easier to listen in, observe my scatty, chaotic stream of thoughts and understand my own intrinsic nature a little better.
Architecture of Asana: Alignment detail
So what changed? The machinery of change sometimes chugs along in the background with things shifting in tiny increments, seemingly invisible. Reflecting over the past couple of years though, I think the change began when I met Simon Park at the Chamonix Yoga Festival – I was instantly mesmerised by his super-fluid long flows using poetic cues, casually interspersed with inversions and funky arm balances! Simon’s teaching encompasses everything from the mesmerising force of a mountain waterfall or the giddy chuckling of a melt-water stream to the steady, much slower, deep flow of a valley river. Delving beneath the surface and magical metaphors is an undercurrent of precision alignment; the architecture of asana is built through alignment detail and clever sequencing. This is Liquid Flow Yoga and, for me, it was love at first encounter.
Liquid flow yoga
Recently I’ve had the chance to fully immerse myself in liquid flow yoga for a second time in the French Alps, fittingly surrounded by mountain waterfalls and rivers. I’ve been eager to share this new rhythm and see my students loving their practise as much as I love mine. So I’m excited to be offering a new “Liquid Flow” masterclass series, Refine, Reflect, Reset. The first one is on Thursday 9th August and it will be a two hour masterclass (although, in the spirit of Simon, you should mentally prepare yourself for longer!). Through intelligent sequencing, detailed cues and precision alignment, this masterclass will strengthen your foundational skills in order to prepare your body for more advanced asanas.
Movement with mindfulness
I think you’ll agree that moving with mindful focus, taking time and allowing yourself to be guided by a steady breath, sends a signal of self-care. And I’m sure, that through this thoughtful rhythm you’ll find yourself drawn more deeply into beautiful, fluid sequences that will leave you craving more! If you’ve been yearning for a yoga practise that you truly love then this could be what you’ve been waiting for!
